NATO flip-flops over Kiev use of ballistic missiles against militants

NATO first confirmed then denied that Ukrainian forces have started using powerful ballistic missiles against militants in the east of the country.

The use of missiles starting this week was first broken by CNN’s
Barbara Starr on Wednesday, who cited “three sources” in the
Pentagon who said that evidence had been obtained with satellite
imagery.

Germany's Deutsche Welle attempted to verify the story through
NATO officials in Brussels. Initially, officials confirmed that
US intelligence identified ballistic missile use by Kiev forces
on Friday. A day later, a conflicting statement was issued, with
the previous admission labeled a “communication error.”

“Ukraine has encountered serious threats to its security, and
can use whatever means necessary and proportionate to defend
itself. But NATO does not officially confirm that ballistic
missiles have been used in the conflict,” said the revised
statement, which notably is not an outright denial either.

Most experts thought that the likely weapon involved in shelling
the militants, who have been retreating in the face of an
intensifying government offensive, was the OTR-21 Tochka.

The Soviet-era weapon, NATO reporting name SS-21 Scarab, the
newest modification of which has a range of up to 185 kilometers,
with a warhead that contains up to 500 kilograms of explosive
materials. It is not a high-precision weapon, and has an accuracy
radius of about 70 meters at best.

Following the CNN report, Ukraine Security Council representative
Andrey Lysenko denied that Kiev was using ballistic missiles,
claiming that Ukraine “has enough other, less destructive
weapons” to fight off the insurgency.

The leading field commander of the People’s Republic of Donetsk,
Igor Strelkov, however, claimed that the government had
transported three Scarabs to the airport in Kramatorsk, a rebel
stronghold it has recently retaken.

“The Ukrainian military are planning to use these ballistic
missiles against water treatment plants that use chlorine in the
cities of Donetsk and Lugansk,” Strelkov told reporters at a
press conference on Thursday.

[Editor's Note: This story has been changed to reflect NATO's
latest comment withdrawing their original statement to DW]